TREE COUNCIL OF IRELAND
Comhairle Crann na hÉireann
The Right Tree in the Right Place!
Planting the right tree in the right place is the most important decision facing tree growers.
Correct matching of species with sites and soils ensures that trees are growing in the right environment
and will perform well with minimum maintenance.
Mistakes made in species selection will result in poor growth performance and
eventual losses, no matter how well trees are maintained.
Observation is the first and best guide: check the site and existing trees growing well in the immediate area.
If for example, the site is damp and is supporting trees such as alder, then you can select it and
other species that grow well under these conditions such as poplar, birch, willow and whitethorn.
The grower should consult a professional if in doubt, especially in large-scale planting
where soil testing may be required.
URBAN STREETS & CONFINED SPACES
NATIVE TREES
Birch (Betula pendula)
Cherry (Prunus padus ‘Fastigiata’)
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia varieties)
NON-NATIVE & ORNAMENTAL
Ash (Fraxinus ornus ‘Obelisk’)
Beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck’)
Chanticleer Pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’)
Elm (Ulmus ‘Lobel’ and U.‘Dodoens’)
Field Maple (Acer campestre ‘Elsrijk’)
Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’)
Lime (Tilia cordata ‘Green Spire’)
Oak (Quercus robur ‘Fastigiata’)
Turkish Hazel (Corylus colurna)
INDUSTRIAL AREAS
NATIVE TREES
Alder (Alnus species)
Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
Birch (Betula pendula and B. pubescens)
Bird cherry (Prunus padus)
Crab (Malus sylvestris)
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
Poplar (Populus tremula)
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)
Willow (Salix species)
Yew (Taxus baccata)
NON-NATIVE & ORNAMENTAL
Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)
Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
Lime (Tilia x europaea, T. platyphyllos and cultivars)
Maples (Acer platanoides and cultivars)
Plane (Platanus species)
Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus and cultivars)
Snowy mespilus (Amelanchier species)
COLD, EXPOSED SITES
NATIVE TREES
Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
Birch (Betula pendula)
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Juniper (Juniperus communis)
Oak (Quercus robur)
Poplar (Populus tremula)
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)
Whitebeam (Sorbus aria)
Yew (Taxus baccata)
NON-NATIVE & ORNAMENTAL
Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Lime (Tilia cordata)
Larches (Larix species)
Pines (Pinus nigra and others)
Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus and cultivars)
Spruces (Picea sitchensis and others)
Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)
DAMP SITES
NATIVE TREES
Alder (Alnus species)
Birch (Betula pubescens)
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Poplar (Populus tremula)
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)
Willow (Salix species)
NON-NATIVE & ORNAMENTAL
Caucasian Wing Nut (Pterocarya fraxinifolia)
Snowy mespilus (Amelanchier lamarckii
HEAVY, CLAY SOILS
NATIVE TREES
Alder (Alnus species)
Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
Birch (Betula pendula)
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
Crab (Malus sylvestris)
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
Oak (Quercus robur and Q. petraea)
Poplar (Populus tremula)
Willow (Salix species)
Whitebeam (Sorbus aria)
Yew (Taxus baccata)
NON-NATIVE & ORNAMENTAL
Caucasian Wing Nut (Pterocarya fraxinifolia)
Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
Firs (Abies species)
Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
Lime (Tilia species)
Maples (Acer platanoides and cultivars)
Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus and cultivars)
Snowy mespilus (Amelanchier lamarckii)
Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)
Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
SHALLOW SOILS
NATIVE TREES
Birch (Betula pendula)
Crab (Malus sylvestris)
Cherry (Prunus padus and P. avium)
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Juniper (Juniperus communis)
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)
Whitebeam (Sorbus aria)
Yew (Taxus baccata)
NON-NATIVE & ORNAMENTAL
Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)
Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
Maples (Acer platanoides)
Pines (Pinus nigra and others)
Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)
Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)
COASTAL AREAS
NATIVE TREES
Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
Holly (Ilex)
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Oak (Quercus robur and Q. petraea)
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) Poplar (Populus tremula and P. alba)
Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo)
Willow (Salix species)
Whitebeam (Sorbus aria)
NON-NATIVE & ORNAMENTAL
Eucalypt (Eucalyptus species)
Holm oak (Quercus ilex)
Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus and cultivars)
Spanish chestnut (Castanea sativa)
Turkey oak (Quercus cerris)